Pumistone Passage Probus Off with a Bang!

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WE ARE BACK!!! And what a way to start. Not only was it great to see everyone again, but fit and healthy! Let’s hope that is how we stay.

The guest speaker was Patrick Pickett who is the artistic director and conductor of the Queensland Pops Orchestra. This orchestra performs several times a year at the Concert Hall at the QPAC to full audiences. The orchestra has also been involved in playing for films such as “Star Wars” and “Love Actually”. We started with a short video of the Orchestra playing and Patrick conducting. It was good to see that so many young people were given the opportunity to play in the concerts. Brilliant!

He is an interesting and inspirational speaker. Patrick joined the Australian army as a 16-year-old apprentice musician and left as Lieutenant Colonel, Director of the Defence Force School of Music. He has commanded and conducted the Australian Defence Force bands at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

He was appointed as Musical Director for the 90thanniversary celebrations at Anzac Cove in 2005 and is now an adjunct Professor at the University of Queensland. What an amazing career.

His talk was entitled “How to make great Music “ Which was witty and informative. However, there was also ‘Audience Participation!’ We made music by clapping different beats and then we were divided into groups and created our own clapping orchestra!!

He finished with a quiz which proved we had all been listening. The Orchestra and the QPAC are closed due to Covid 19 but I feel sure once it reopens and the Pops Orchestra is up and running they will be playing to full audiences again and you will need to get your tickets early.

Kathy Vincent